Viewing a dream come true for ailing Bethel man

Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, February 17, 2008

But the 55-year-old Bethel resident got much, much more, thanks to longtime friend Mark Swenson of Southbury, and the ability of Angell's family to keep a secret.

Not only was Angell able to see one of the majestic birds in its natural habitat, he got so close to another that the breeze from its flapping wings rustled the red, white and blue New York Giants scarf draped around Angell's neck.

"It was a total surprise," said Angell, who included seeing an eagle on his "Bucket List" of things to do after being diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, and given a year to live last April. "It was exceptional, and I'm enjoying every minute of it."

Among the other dreams that have already come true for Angell was seeing his beloved Giants win the Super Bowl last month, a game he attended in person, and going for a ride in a hot air balloon.

Angell knew in advance that he was going to the observation site with his wife, Mary, three of their four children and about 20 other friends and family members. What he didn't know was that Swenson had made sure that his friend wouldn't be disappointed if there weren't any eagles near the Shepaug Dam during their visit.

"It's a wintering spot for eagles, but they aren't here every day," said Charles Burnham, a representative of FirstLight Power Resources, operators of the dam.

Through Burnham, Swenson was able to get in touch with Wind Over Wings, a Clinton-based wildlife rehabilitation center that has two bald eagles among the birds they have nursed back to health after being injured in the wild.

While Angell and his party watched for, and actually spotted, an eagle feeding on fish near the dam, a sport utility vehicle containing four volunteers from the center, and four birds, rolled up outside. Among the birds was Noah, a 7-year-old bald eagle that was rescued as a baby after tumbling 80 feet to the ground in Utah.

The injuries Noah sustained made it impossible for him to return to the wild, volunteer Grace Krick said. But along with his avian companions, a screech owl named Acorn, a barn owl named Micah and a turkey vulture called Oliver, he was the star of an impromptu program staged for Angell's benefit on Sunday.

He nodded with understanding when center director Hope Douglas told the audience how the story of Noah's recovery from his injuries had been an inspiration to many visitors, and how the center planned to make the eagle a focal point of a touring program directed at other cancer patients.

Afterward, Angell and family members posed for photos with Noah and Krick.